ICYMI: Cruz, Cornyn, Treviño Rio Grande Guardian Op-Ed on Defending Texas Energy and Jobs in the Face of Federal Overreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., discussed the U.S. Court of Appeals decision vacating already-issued liquefied natural gas permits in South Texas in a recent op-ed for the Rio Grande Guardian. The Texas senators and county judge doubled down on defending Texas energy and touted the Cruz-Cornyn Protect LNG Act to ensure that no court has the authority to vacate a previously authorized LNG permit, to clarify the venue for LNG lawsuits before federal courts, and to mandate that courts grant expedited decisions in relevant cases.
In the piece, the Texas officials said, “Let’s not allow misguided federal policies—or, worse, misapplied decisions from judges who preside over courts outside of Texas—to undermine Texas energy. It’s time to stand up for the men and women who power our state, for the communities that will thrive because of major investments in LNG projects, and for American- and Texan-led energy production.”
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In less than a decade, the United States transformed from exporting almost no liquefied natural gas (LNG) to becoming the world’s leading exporter, surpassing other energy-producing giants like Russia and Qatar. Texas energy producers and innovators drove this remarkable achievement, playing a pivotal role in making America a global energy powerhouse.
America’s new role as the leading LNG exporter comes at a critical time. The Energy Information Administration projects a 48% increase in global demand for natural gas by 2050. To meet this rising demand, we need greater investment in America’s LNG sector. As elected officials in the Lone Star State, we believe that Texas energy—produced by blue collar workers from the Permian Basin to the Rio Grande Valley—should be at the forefront of this effort. If we don’t take action, countries like Russia and Iran are poised to overtake America as the world’s primary energy supplier.
That’s why we are concerned about the recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit decision to block permits for LNG export facilities in Texas. The court’s unprecedented decision to revoke already-issued permits creates a new reality that threatens thousands of jobs, undermines economic growth in Texas, and, according to a former Obama Administration official, even puts future investment in renewable energy infrastructure at risk.
The Rio Grande Valley is an area rich in culture, history, potential—and exploding economic development. And it stands to lose the most from this disastrous court decision. One of the impacted projects, NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG, would create over 6,000 jobs and bring more than $18 billion in investment to South Texas. By revoking these permits, the D.C. Circuit Court imposes yet another costly bureaucratic roadblock to developing critical energy infrastructure and, most importantly, denies Valley communities the new economic growth that local leaders are championing.
What’s more, undermining American LNG hurts the environment—something appellate judges in Washington D.C. ought to care about. America is by far the world’s largest producer of natural gas, and our environmental standards for production outrank nearly every other country on earth. If you want the world to use cleaner energy, the U.S. is the very best possible supplier. Unfortunately, the panel of judges’ permit-killing decision puts producing clean energy domestically that much further out of reach.
This is also why we are fighting for the Cruz-Cornyn Protect LNG Act. This bill ensures that a court cannot vacate a previously authorized LNG permit, and that the appeals court for Texas, and not DC, would rule on lawsuits regarding LNG projects in Texas. Finally, it would force courts to grant expedited decisions in relevant cases, so LNG exporters aren’t tied up in years of litigation.
Let’s not allow misguided federal policies—or, worse, misapplied decisions from judges who preside over courts outside of Texas—to undermine Texas energy. It’s time to stand up for the men and women who power our state, for the communities that will thrive because of major investments in LNG projects, and for American- and Texan-led energy production.
BACKGROUND
In September, Sens. Cruz and Cornyn introduced the Protect LNG Act to protect energy producers from attacks instigated by fringe environmental groups and politicized courts.
In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated reauthorizations for the Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG projects, threatening 7,000 jobs and undermining $24 billion in investments in the Rio Grande Valley. On September 25, 2024, Sen. Cruz sent aletter to the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission urging him to appeal this terrible decision.
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